Novelty package



July 21, 1959 M, BRAV 2,895,834

NOVELTY PACKAGE Filed Aug. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. LZZ 072/ .BT'QU,

July 21, 1959 M. BRAV 2,895,834

NOVELTY PACKAGE Filed Aug. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent NOVELTY PACKAGE Milton Brav, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Sue Ann Food Products Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 2, 1955, Serial No. 526,037

8 Claims. (Cl. 99-171) The invention relates generally to packaging of small articles or goods and more particularly to a package simulating an article of well-known form.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel package structure having at least a portion simulating a container of well-known form and providing a concealed space for articles or goods.

Another object is to provide a novel package structure in the nature of a box within which is a simulation of a readily recognized form of container or package, the structure providing concealed space for articles or goods difiering from those normally provided in the container or package.

A further object is to provide a novel package structure in the form of a box having display means therein simulating a well-known form of container, such as a distinctive type of bottle used for a certain product, the display means being constructed to provide and enclose a space to receive articles or goods.

Still another object is to provide a novel package structure for use as a souvenir by a producer of a certain product, the package structure being in the form of a box enclosing a simulation of the container in which such product is usually sold, the structure providing space therein for articles or packages of goods of a nature suitable for a souvenir.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a package structure embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing the various parts of the package structure;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the package structure;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is another transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

A package structure embodying the features of the invention is adapted for use by a manufacturer or producer as a souvenir in advertising his product. The package structure comprises generally a box, a shelf supported therein, with means associated with the shelf simulating the appearance of a well-known form of container such as the container in which the manufacturer usually markets his goods. The shelf together with the means simulating the appearance of such container provide an enclosed space for articles or goods that the manufacturer may wish to give as a souvenir to his customers. To simplify the construction of the package structure, the means simulating the appearance of the container may be held in the desired relation with the shelf by the articles or goods contained therein, although additional means may also be provided to support the simulating means in such position. The shelf together with the simulating means is removable from the box to obtain access to the articles or goods,

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and a cover for the box may be provided to enclose both the shelf and the simulating means.

To illustrate the invention, the box is shown as being rectangular in form, and the simulating means is illustrated in the form of a beer bottle lying on its side within the box, the simulating means having the shape of half of the bottle taken longitudinally thereof. The simulating means projects above the shelf and the latter is held in spaced relation to the bottom of the box so that space is provided thereunder in which a number of round packages, such as small packages of various kinds of cheese, may be placed. The packages of cheese are of such diameter that they hold the simulating means projecting above the shelf to the desired extent.

In the specific embodiment shown in the drawings, the package structure comprises a rectangular outer box indicated generally at 10. The box 10 is formed by a bottom wall 11, side walls 12 and end walls 13. The box 10 is preferably of the set-up type in which the side and end walls are permanently fixed in upstanding position relative to the bottom wall 11. Supported within the box 10 is a shelf preferably in the form of an inverted box, indicated generally at 14, and comprising a transverse top wall 15 constituting the shelf, and vertical walls 16 at its sides and ends. The inverted box 14 is dimensioned to fit snugly within the outer box 10 with the edges of the vertical walls 16 seated on the bottom 11 of the outer box 10.

The inverted box 14 has associated with it a means for simulating the appearance of the container in which the manufacturers product is usually marketed. In the present instance, such means, indicated generally at 20, simulates the appearance of one-half of a beer bottle, the half being taken longitudinally of the bottle. Thus, the simulating means comprises a member having a body portion 21 and a neck portion 22. A simulation of the usual beer bottle cap may also be provided thereon as indicated at 23. The simulating means 20 is preferably made of a plastic-like material having a color similar to the usual brown bottle in which beer is placed and, because of the half round form thereof, it may be easily molded from a sheet of uniform thickness of such plastic-like material. It thus provides a hollow structure. I

While the simulating means 20 could be adhesively secured to the shelf 15 provided by the inverted box 14, the shelf is preferably punched with an opening 24 having the outline of a beer bottle to conform to the shape of the simulating means 20. To position the simulating means in the opening 24, the former is provided around its perimeter with an outwardly extending flange 25 adapted to underlie the top wall or shelf 15 of the inverted box 14 with the rounded portion of the simulatiug means projecting upwardly above the opening 24. With the simulating means held in this position, it cooperates with the inverted box 14 to provide a space thereunder in which the articles or goods constituting the souvenir may be placed, and preferably the dimensioning is such that the articles or goods will hold the simulating means 20 in the desired relation with the shelf or top wall 15. With the means 20 simulating a beer bottle, the body portion 21 thereof provides a space which is rounded. In the present instance the goods are illustrated as a series of small packages 26 of various kinds of cheese such as imported cheeses. Such goods are particularly suitable as a souvenir from a brewery because of the usual association of cheese and crackers with beer. Thus, the body portion 21 of the simulating means 20 is supported on the packages 26, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and is held so that the flange 25 is in engagement with the underside of the top wall or shelf The simulating means 20 may have the usual labels used by the brewery, applied thereto so that the simulating means closely resembles a beer bottle.

While the packages 26 form the main support for the simulating means 20 in holding the flange 25 thereof in engagement with the shelf 15, the neck portion 22 of the simulating means may also be supported by additional means if desired. Thus, a spacer member in the form of an inverted box 30 may be placed under the neck portion 22 to hold the flange 25 around the neck portion against the shelf 15. The side walls of the inverted box-like spaced element 30 of course are dimensioned so that they will rest on the bottom of the outer box and hold the flange 25 firmly against the shelf 15.

The inverted box 14 together with the simulating means 20 preferably projects above the sides and ends of the outer box so that the inverted box 14 may be readily grasped to remove it from the outer box to give access to the packages 26. To assist in confining the packages 26 within the inverted box 14 and the simulating means 20 during handling, the inverted box 14 may be provided with inwardly extending flaps 31 extending from the lower edges of the vertical walls 16 of the inverted box 14. When the inverted box 14 is inserted within the outer box 10, the flaps 31 lie against the bottom wall 11 of the box 10 and are of sufiicient width so that the two flaps 31 substantially meet along the center line of the package.

While the outer box 10, the inverted box 14 and the simulating means 20 form a complete closure for the packages 26, an overlying cover, indicated generally at 32, may be provided. The overlying cover 32 is in the form of a rectangular inverted box having the same external length and width as the outer box 10. The cover 32, however, is of sufficient depth so that it will enclose the simulating means 20 and the lower edges of the side walls thereof will extend downwardly over that part of the inverted box 14 which is exposed above the outer box 10. The lower edges of the side walls of the cover 32 thus may be seated on the upper edges of the side walls 12 and end walls 13 of the outer box 12.

With the foregoing structure, a highly suitable souvenir for a brewery is provided. The outer box 12 and its cover 32 may be given an attractive external appearance and when the cover 32 is removed, the simulation of a beer bottle provides the desired advertising value without disclosing the real contents or goods given as a souvenir. On removal of the inverted box 14 from the outer box 10, the packages of cheese are immediately available. Thus, a very desirable souvenir package is provided by the present invention. The invention, however, is not limited to a simulation of a beer bottle but it will be readily apparent that simulations of containers of other well-known forms for other types of products may be provided within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A package structure comprising a box, a shelf mounted within said box having means for holding the shelf in spaced relation above the bottom of the box and having an opening in the outline of a well-known form of container, and a member simulating the appearance of a container and extending upwardly through said opening and having a peripheral flange engaging the underside of said shelf about said opening, the width of said member across said flange being greater than the width of said opening, said member together with said shelf providing an enclosed space, and one or more articles of a size to fit between said member and the bottom of the box mounted in said enclosed space, said one or more articles resting on the bottom of the box and engaging said member to hold said member with its flange in engagement with said shelf.

2. A package structure comprising a box, a shelf mounted within said box in spaced relation above the bottom of the box and having an opening in the outline in a longitudinal plane of a bottle having a round body and a neck of reduced diameter, a member simulating the appearance of said bottle and having an external shape conforming to half of said bottle taken on said plane, said member extending upwardly through said opening and having a peripheral flange engaging the underside of said shelf, the portion of said member corresponding to said round body together with said shelf providing an enclosed space to receive articles of a size to fit between said portion of said member and the bottom of the box with said articles holding said member with its flange in engagement with said shelf, and a spacer element underlying the portion of said member corresponding to said neck to assist in holding said member with its flange in engagement with said shelf.

3. A package structure comprising a box, a shelf mounted within said box in spaced relation above the bottom of the box and having an opening in the outline in a longitudinal plane of a bottle having a round body and a neck of reduced diameter, a member simulating the appearance of said bottle and having an external shape conforming to half of said bottle taken on said plane, said member extending upwardly through said opening and having a peripheral flange engaging the underside of said shelf, the portion of said member corresponding to said round body together with said shelf providing an enclosed space to receive articles of a size to fit between said portion of said member and the bottom of the box with said articles holding said member with its flange in engagement with said shelf, and an inverted box-like spacer element having a wall underlying and engaging the portion of said member corresponding to said neck to assist in holding said member with its flange in engagement with said shelf.

4. A package structure comprising a box, a shelf mounted within said box in spaced relation above the bottom of the box and having an opening in the outline of a well-known form of container, a member simulating the appearance of a half of said container and extending upwardly through said opening, said member having a flange around its periphery engaging the underside of said shelf, and a spacer element underlying a portion of said member and engaging the flange on said portion to hold it in engagement with said shelf, another portion of said member providing a space to receive articles of a size to fit between said other portion and the bottom of the box with the article also supporting said member to hold its flange in engagement with said shelf.

5. A package structure comprising a generally rectangular outer box open at its top, a shelf in the form of an inverted box having a transverse wall at its top and vertical walls fitting within said outer box and resting on the bottom of said outer box, said transverse wall having an opening in the outline of a well-known form of container, and a member extending upwardly through said opening with its exposed part simulating the appearance of half of said container, said member together with said shelf providing an enclosing space to receive articles with the articles supporting said member in said openings, said vertical walls having flaps overlying the bottom of the outer box and underlying the articles to enclose the articles when said inverted box is removed from said outer box.

6. A package structure comprising a generally rectangular outer box open at its top, a shelf in the form of an inverted box having a transverse wall at its top and vertical walls of greater height than the depth of the outer box and fitting Within and resting on the bottom of said outer box, said transverse wall having an opening in the outline of a well-known form of container, and a member extending upwardly through said opening with its exposed part simulating the appearance of half of said container, said member together with said inverted box providing an enclosed space to receive articles with the articles supporting said member in said opening, and a spacer element in the form of a second inverted box fitting within an end portion of said first-mentioned inverted box to assist in supporting said member in said opening.

7. A package structure comprising a generally rectangular outer box open at its top, a shelf in the form of an inverted box having a transverse wall at its top and vertical walls of greater height than the depth of the outer box and fitting within and resting on the 10 bottom of said outer box, said transverse wall having an opening in the outline of a beer bottle, and a member extending upwardly through said opening with its exposed part simulating the appearance of half of said beer bottle, the portion of said member simulating the body of the beer bottle being semicylindrical and providing space between it and the bottom of said outer box and a plurality of round packages of cheese in said space with said packages extending into said portion and supporting said member in said opening.

8. Package structure according to claim 1 in which said shelf is in the form of an inverted box having a 5 transverse wall at its top and vertical walls fitted within said outer box and resting on the bottom of said outer box, said opening being in said transverse wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,784,937 Kreslawsky Dec. 16, 1930 2,008,664 Dowst July 23, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,300 Great Britain Jan. 27, 1910 722,423 Great Britain Ian. 26, 1955 742,753 France Ian. 4, 1933 

1. A PACKAGE STRUCTURE COMPRISING A BOX, A SHELF MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BOX HAVING MEANS FOR HOLDINGS THE SELF INSPACED RELATION ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX AND HAVING AN OPENING IN THE OUTLINE OF A WELL-KNOWN FORM OF CONTAINER, AND A MEMBER SIMULATING THE APPEARANCE OF A CONTAINER AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE ENGAGING THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID SHELF ABOUT SAID OPENING, THE WIDTH OF SAID MEMBER ACROSS SAID FLANGE BEING GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID OPENING, SAID MEMBER TOGETHER WITH SAID SHELF PROVIDING AN ENCLOSED SPACED, AND ONE OR MORE ARTICLES OF A SIZE TO FIT BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX MOUNTED IN SAID ENCLOSED SPACE, SAID ONE OR MORE ARTICLES RESTING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX AND ENGAGING SAID MEMBER TO HOLD SAID MEMBER WITH ITS FLANGE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHELF. 